The Longest Moment
by Julieshadow
Summary: When Pastor Jim and Bobby ask John for his youngest son's help on a hunt, John has misgivings, but at sixteen Sam is eager to be more than just a tag along and wants to prove he can hunt just like his brother. John, much to Dean's dismay, reluctantly agrees, but will he regret his decision. Genre: Pre-Series, gen,
1. Chapter 1

John Winchester was seated at the kitchen table in one of their latest run down establishments in a very long list of short term rented accommodations they had lived in, looking through the local papers for his next hunt.

His eldest son Dean was gone out to try and earn them some money and his youngest Sam was still at school. Dean would pick him up on his way home from whatever no name bar he was hustling in today.

John was brought from his thoughts as the phone began to ring. He got up and answered it finding that it was Pastor Jim on the other end.

"Jim. Have you got something for me?" John began.

i"You know John not every time I call has to do with a hunt, but on this occasion, yes, there is a hunt I believe you could help me with, well, more specifically Sam may be able to help with." /i Jim informed him.

"Jim, Sam is fifteen; he is too young to be a part of a hunt! And if you think I'm letting my son play bait to some-"John said, his heckles on the rise before Jim interrupted.

i"Whoa John, stop right there. I have no intention of using Sam as bait, but I do feel his help could greatly benefit us on this hunt. More specifically you and Dean, as Bobby and I are heading over a couple of states to take care of a werewolf."/i Jim stated.

"What is the hunt?"

i"A spirit, the case is complicated. Why don't you and the boys meet me at Bobby's and I can bring you up to speed?"/i

"Dean and I can take care of a spirit; we'll pack up and head out tonight. We should be in Sioux Falls by morning. Sam doesn't need to be a part of this. He's still just a kid." John told him.

i"I remember another kid putting down a black dog not two long after his fifteenth birthday John. Sam is just as capable if he was given the chance."/i Jim said matter of fact.

John was interrupted in his reply as the front door opened and Dean and Sam came through it.

"We will discuss this tomorrow when we get there. I'll see you in the morning." With that John ended the conversation.

John could see Sam tense as he hung up the phone. Probably because Sam liked the school here and had some presentation or such he had been taking about for the last two weeks that was due by the end of the week.

"We're moving out?" Dean asked but John could tell it was more of a statement.

"Pastor Jim needs our help with a spirit; we're meeting him at Bobby's in the morning." John informed them and could see Sam was about to start complaining so he continued.

"Jim thinks that Sam may be able to help us on the hunt, I told him we would have a look at the research." John concluded.

"Really?" Sam asked hopefully all thoughts of his presentation seeming to be forgotten.

"What?! Sam's too young to hunt!" Dean voiced anxiously.

"Dean you were hunting when you were my age. I sick of being the tag along that always has to wait in the car. I want to help." Sam threw back at his older brother.

"Enough, both of you. I told Jim we would discuss it in the morning. I'm not making any decision until I have gotten all the information." John said leaving no room for argument.

He felt bad that he had used the idea of Sam going on a hunt to stop an argument. He had no intention of letting his youngest boy anywhere near danger but he could worry about that when they were at Bobby's.

"Go pack up, will be leaving in twenty. We can grab something to eat on the road." John ordered and he didn't miss the look of worry and frustration on his eldest face.

Dean would do anything to protect his brother and putting him into a hunt was something that would not sit well with him but John had no intention of letting Sam near the spirit either.

The impala pulled to stop in front of Bobby's at 6:45 am. The porch door swung open and Pastor Jim came forward to greet them.

"You made good time John. Bobby has breakfast almost ready." Jim said as he shook his friend's hand.

"I'm sure the boys will appreciate that, me, I need a cup of the black stuff." John said closing the impala's door and heading towards the house.

Jim moved around to the other side and could tell that Dean already knew of his idea to use Sam on the hunt. It didn't surprise him that Dean wouldn't be happy about it.

"Dean, how are you son?" Jim asked again offering his hand.

"Hungry, did you say something about breakfast?" He replied without his usual enthusiasm.

"Bobby is just dishing it up." Jim told him and the young man followed his father to the house.

Sam came up to Jim and enveloped him a hug.

"Hi Pastor Jim. Am I really going to be helping on this hunt?" Sam asked eagerly stepping back from the embrace.

"We will see Sam. Let's get some food in you first. You're all skin and bones. We'll discuss the hunt after breakfast." Jim offered and the two made their way into the house.

After everyone had their fill of bacon and eggs Sam cleaned up and Dean put on another pot of coffee. Once everything was done the five of them took a seat around the table and Bobby pulled out a folder of newspaper clippings and other pieces of paper inside.

John went through the folder and with added information from the older two men he put the hunt together.

There was a string of disappearances of boys between the ages of eighteen and twenty one. All the victims were found wondering towards a nearby town three days after they first disappeared, severely traumatized, beaten and refusing to talk about what had happened to them.

From the interviews Jim and Bobby had conducted one of the victims had mumbled 'he was just a kid but ghosts weren't real' and a second victim had mentioned the name Aiden.

So far, none of the victims had been killed but the last two victim's injuries were a lot more severe which meant the spirit was escalating.

Bobby had narrowed down the spirit to be one Aiden O 'Rourke, sixteen, who had lived in the area with his father and brother before all three had disappeared. When police investigated they found the family home covered in blood but no trace of the family.

An article on the police investigation had said that the neighbours had referred to the father of the boys as 'a mean drunk' and complaints had been made to the police department about suspected abuse. The investigation concluded that the father had killed the two sons and disposed of their bodies in the woods behind their house before taking off on the run.

That case was over seventy years ago, but over the years there had been reports of the ghost of a young boy being seen walking the tree line of the woods. The hunters suspected it was the restless spirit of Aiden.

"Okay so say it is Aiden I don't get why Sammy would play bait? The victims have been between eighteen and twenty one not fifteen. We just need to find the body and burn the bones end of story." Dean stated.

"We don't want Sam to play bait. The problem is that Bobby and I have scoured every inch of the house and the woods and we cannot find where the father buried the bodies. What we were thinking was that Sam could engage Aiden in conversation see if he could get him to talk about what happened and hopefully disclose the location of his body. He may feel more open to talking to a kid his own age. We are out of options here and if he's not stopped he will eventually escalate to murder." Jim explained.

"Or he could decide to make Sammy his next victim!" Dean spat back.

"Two of the victims were with their kid brothers when they were taken and the kids were knocked out and left, he didn't go near them. Also a fifteen year old boy reported seeing the ghost and he watched him for a few moments before he left the kid alone. The spirit is focused on older boys. We don't think Sam would be in any danger." Bobby added.

"You don't think?! You want to risk Sammy on a whim." Dean said enraged.

"Cool it Dean. The plan is not a bad one and there is no evidence that this spirit would attack another kid. But Jim, Dean is right, he could easily break pattern. I'm not willing to risk Sam's-"John began.

"I want to do it. I'm able to do this Dad. We can set up a salt circle for me to stand in the house, you can stay nearby and I can yell if I need you. If we don't try this someone could die." Sam interrupted.

"No. You're not doing it." Dean ground out.

"Dean, wait. It could work, but there is no guarantee he would come to the house." John said.

"We have to try Dad, please?" Sam asked.

"Alright, we'll give it a shot." John relented.

"Dad!" Dean yelled disbelievingly.

"We will be with him every step of the way and we will take every precaution. End of discussion son." John stated firmly.

"Okay, we'll leave this in your hands and we'll leave to take care of the werewolf. If you need anything just let us know, you hear?" Bobby asked.

John nodded and then Bobby and Jim left for their hunt. However, John couldn't help the anxious feeling he had in the pit of his stomach.


	2. Chapter 2

John and the boys arrived at the cabin first thing the following morning. John had decided to leave Sam unarmed so as he didn't look like a threat if Aiden was watching.

Sam kept a close vigil on the treeline around the house as his brother and father removed what they needed from the trunk and then the three hunter's headed into the house.

The house was in bad shape, the years not being kind to it. It seemed no one had been in there in years and it had been left the way it had been found when the police investigation came to a standstill.

John entered first with his gun grasped firmly in one hand, Dean bringing up the rear his gun slightly raised ready if Aiden started to cause trouble. John did a quick survey then dropped his supplies in the main living area of the house.

"Keep alert, I'll start getting everything ready." John ordered.

Both boys nodded and Sam could feel the tension radiating from his Dad and brother.  
He didn't think there was any way Dean could get more alert as his brother gripped his weapon fiercely, his jawline set tight as he scanned the room back and forth.

John lay a thick layered circle of salt six foot from the main door of the house. He lay an iron bar inside of it along with a jar of salt. An old fashioned coat stand stood just behind the door with a mirror and shelf attached just behind where John had laid the salt circle. He placed a sawn off on the shelf so as Sam could reach it if he needed to.

Checking once more that everything was in order, John removed a two way radio from his duffle and handed it to Sam.

"If you get the information or if you think anything is going wrong hit the button immediately and we'll be in at the first crackle of the radio, got it?" John instructed.

"Yes sir." Sam replied.

"We'll pull the impala just behind the tree line and wait there, we will still have a view of the house." John told his youngest as he began removing the supplies.  
"Be careful Sammy, and yell if you need us okay?" Dean added and Sam could see the apprehension flowing from him.

"I'll be okay Dean, I can do this." Sam said reassuringly.

Dean nodded and then left the house followed by his dad.

As the two of them sat in to the car and John started the engine Dean sighed and looked to his Father.

"I don't like this dad, anything could go wrong." Dean said worriedly.

"We won't let it. We can be there in an instant if Sammy needs us." John said calmly even though he also had a bad feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.

+++

Sam entered the ring of salt and now that his father and brother had left his composure was starting to waiver.

He was a Winchester and he was not supposed to be afraid but as he slowly surveyed his surroundings he was starting to get nervous.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Aiden? I'm Sam. I was hoping to talk with you? Are you here?" Sam asked cautiously.

Sam waited a few minutes but got no reply. Then suddenly the temperature in the room seemed to drop and Sam could see his breath in front of him.

"A...Aiden?" Sam ventured.

"What are you doing here?" A young voiced asked as Sam swirled around to find Aiden standing to the side of him.

Sam steadied himself as he took in the sad appearance of the spirit now in front of him.

"I just wanted to talk with you. A..About what happened to you." Sam said honestly.

"Why?" Aiden asked confused.

"I want to help you. Help you find peace." Sam offered.

"There is no peace. I need to protect them, protect you." The ghost said as he flickered before Sam's eyes.

"Protect me from what? Who is them?" Sam queried not understanding.

"From him, he was here with you, he looked mad. I won't let him hurt you, I must protect all kids like us. Mine hurt me…" Aiden trailed off.

Sam started to understand some of what Aiden was saying.

"Aiden, my dad wouldn't hurt me. I know what your dad did to you b-"Sam tried.

"NOOO! My dad loved me! He died trying to protect me from him and yours will do the same!" Aiden yelled.

Sam stiffened as the wind started to pick up inside the house and furniture started rattling. Sam needed to calm the spirit before things got too far out of his control.

"I know you probably still love him but what your dad did-"

The room began shaking as furniture starting flying and Sam immediately hit the button on his radio.

"My brother killed him! He killed me! My dad LOVED ME!" The spirit roared in rage as the windows and glass around Sam burst in exploding around the room.

Sam could see the front door burst open just as he felt an overwhelming sharp pain radiate from his side. He could hear the blast of a shotgun as he looked down to see the long jagged piece of what had been part of the mirror from the coat stand imbedded in his side.

Sam fell to his knees, black spots in his vision as he could hear his name being called by his dad and brother.

He was sure in felt hands grab at him before he passed out completely.

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

Dean paid no heed to his Dad firing off a round at the angry spirit in his rush to get to his injured younger brother.

Landing hard on his knees beside Sam, Dean immediately surveyed his little brother's injuries. Right away, his eyes were drawn to the jagged piece of mirror protruding from Sam's side.

"Shit! Hold on Sammy. We're going to get you fixed up, baby brother," Dean reassured his younger sibling.

Looking back to where John was currently standing, searching the house for any trace that Aiden was about to return, Dean called for his attention.

"Dad, it's bad, we need to get him to a hospital now," Dean stated, trying to hold in his rising panic.

As soon as the words left the older sibling's mouth, the wind in the room started to pick up and a cold chill filled it.

"I don't think the damn spirit likes the sound of that," John returned, raising his gun in anticipation of whatever was coming.

Dean's attention was brought back to Sam as he began to come to whimpering lowly, obviously in pain.

"It's okay, Sam. Just breathe deeply for me," Dean told him, putting a comforting hand on the teenager's chest.

"A…Aiden?" the injured hunter inquired.

"About to make a reappearance. We need to get you out of here Sammy."

Before Dean could try to lift his brother, a loud thump sounded behind him and he turned just in time to see his father land on the ground. Dean went to reach for the iron bar that John had previously placed with Sam in the salt circle, but was halted by a weak hand grabbing his arm.

"Dean, no," Sam said pleadingly.

"Sammy?"

"Aiden, stop, please? Dean won't hurt me. He loves me. He's only trying to help me," Sam tried to get through to the spirit.

The wind didn't calm, but Aiden seemed to stall his rampage on the older Winchesters and pay attention to Sam.

"I need to protect you. He will hurt you," Aiden stated, moving closer to Dean.

"No, please. He's not like your brother. Dean only wants to protect me," Sam told the young spirit.

Aiden shook his head and raised his arm to Dean, cutting off Dean's ability to breathe. Dean began clawing at his throat, trying to remove the invisible hands closing off his air supply.

John let out a shout and swung an iron bar through Aiden, causing him to dissipate. Dean gulped in a deep breath as the invisible hands released his throat.

"Hurry, Dean! We need to get your brother out of here before the spirit returns," John yelled as he moved to Sam's other side.

John didn't like the lack of blood coming from the wound on his youngest son's side. Sam's skin was cool and clammy; his pulse was weak and his breathing was rapid and shallow.

Sure that his son was in shock and that piece of mirror was probably the only thing from stopping his son bleeding out, John sighed, "Damn it," as he tried to contemplate what to do next.

"Dad?" Dean asked anxiously.

"Keep your brother comfortable. I'm going to lay more salt lines around the both of you. I need to get the first aid bag," John informed them as he began to put down more salt.

As soon as the salt line was in place, John left his sons and headed out to the impala for the first aid bag. Dean was on high alert for any signs that Aiden was about to make another reappearance, but at the same time, kept a close eye on his brother.

"I... It's not the d…dad…" Sam stuttered.

"I gathered. The brother, then?" Dean surmised.

"Y…Yeah. H...he has been attacking b...big broth- Ahh!" Sam tried but was interrupted as pain flared through him.

"It's okay, Sammy. Just breathe through it, little brother," Dean comforted him, brushing Sam's bangs back from his forehead.

"I…it's bad, i…isn't it?" Sam asked, tears of pain in his eyes.

"A little scratch, Sammy. Dad will patch you up and we'll get you to a hospital before you know it. Maybe I can even get some hot nurses' numbers," Dean said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"A…Aiden believes h…he's protecting his younger siblings… not h…his fault… We need to get him some peace," Sam told his big brother, tears still trickling from his eyes.

"Shh, Sammy, we will, but we need to get you out of here first, okay? Dad and I will come back later," Dean reassured Sam gently. He wiped the tears from his younger sibling's cheeks.

"H…how could his b…brother do that to him? H…he was only fifteen, Dean!" Sam asked weakly, letting a hurt groan fall past his lips.

"I don't know, Sam. Christ, big brothers should protect their annoying kid brothers, teach them, mind them, not… Look, right now I need you to worry about yourself, okay? I promise I'll come back and try to find Aiden's bones once I have you safe in a hospital bed with a hot nurse at your beck and call." All teasing had gone from his voice.

"I…I want him to b…be at peace Dean, please… we have to find his body a…and put him to r…rest."

The air suddenly took on a cold chill and Dean immediately grabbed the iron bar beside him, searching around them for the spirit.

He heard the voice before he saw the teenaged ghost.

"In the lake," a quiet whisper sounded.

"A…Aiden?" Sam asked meekly.

"He drove us into the lake, it's about forty minutes from here. The three of us are still there… in the car," Aiden provided, finally showing himself to the two brothers.

Dean tightened his grip on the iron weapon in his hand, making sure his whole body was in front of Sam.

"You really do love him, don't you?" Aiden inquired, his body language a far cry from the enraged spirit from earlier.

Now, he stood before them looking every bit the vulnerable fifteen-year-old boy he had been when his brother killed him.

"Yeah, I do. He is everything to me and I can't lose him. I'm really sorry for what your brother did to you but I would never hurt Sammy," Dean told the spirit, still wary of him, but for the first time seeing a kid and not a spirit.

"Can you do it? Give me peace?" Aiden inquired in a small voice.

"Yes, we can," John announced from the doorway, startling the Aiden and Dean.

"But right now, I need to take care of my boy and get him to a hospital," the older hunter continued.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt him. I won't cause you any more trouble; I'll wait for your return by the lake."

With that, Aiden disappeared, leaving the hunters to focus on their youngest.

"T…Thank you, De." Sam whispered before going limp beside his big brother and falling into unconsciousness.

"Sam? Sammy? No no no, come on, Sammy, stay with me here, please!" Dean pleaded.

"Hospital, NOW DEAN!"


	4. Chapter 4

The ride to the hospital had felt like an eternity to both of the older Winchesters.

John had done the best he could with their medical supplies, securing the glass in place to the best of his ability before placing Sam in the backseat of the Impala with his brother.

By the time they had made it to Sioux Falls General, Sam's pulse had plummeted and the mirror fragment had shifted, causing Sam to lose couple of pints of blood.

John and Dean were currently in the waiting room of the surgical floor, awaiting news from Sam's surgeon.

There had been a rush of words as a permission form was thrust into John's hands to sign his consent for surgery, with the words internal damage and infection sticking in his mind. Two hours later, they still had heard nothing of how Sam's surgery was going. Dean broke the silence from where he was seated across from his father.

"You should never have allowed him on this hunt, I knew he was too young," Dean stated, sighing, no venom behind the words.

"What happened could have happened to any seasoned hunter," John replied evenly.

"It didn't happen to any hunter though, it happened to Sam. He shouldn't have been in that house, Dad, and you know it," Dean told him, not breaking eye contact with John.

"And you shouldn't have been facing off against a black dog at fifteen, but you were. Sam did everything right back there, and moreover, he wanted to be a part of this hunt. I'm not going to lie and say I was okay with it but Sam proved himself as a hunter. I will never be okay with one of my sons being hurt, Dean, but I won't apologise for having you both prepared. You know what's out there. Everything I do is to make sure you can hold your own against all the evil sons of bitches out there," John stated, rising from his seat.

"I know dad, but I can't… I can't lose him. What if-"

"No. He'll be fine. Now, I think we could both use some caffeine. I saw a machine across the hall," John changed the subject.

"Yeah, okay," Dean replied, standing and going to retrieve the requested beverages.

Once Dean had left the room, John retook his seat, placing his hands in his heads.

"Please… please, let my baby boy be okay," John whispered to himself, tears prickling his eyes.

Sam wasn't a kid anymore - he was sixteen and John was so proud of him for the way he handled himself, showing no fear and, even injured, continuing to try and get through to Aiden. But he was still his little boy and it wasn't okay. Being in this life wasn't okay.

The hunter was at a loss between the inner turmoil of keeping his kids safe while also making sure they were prepared for whatever evil lay ahead of them.

He was brought from his thoughts as Sam's doctor entered the room, followed by his eldest son.

"Mr. Winchester, I'm Dr. Tierney. We met briefly in the E.R."

"John, please, and this is my other son, Dean. Is Sam alright?"

"Please, if you'd both take a seat."

+++

_Two weeks later_

"It's only a translation, the doctor said no exertion, reading and writing is not exertion!" Sam huffed, exasperated.

"Boy, if you don't sit your ass down on that couch I'm going to tie you to it," Bobby growled.

Sam exhaled, frustrated, but did as asked as he wasn't sure if the older hunter would actually go through with his threat.

Just then the front door opened and Dean bounded into the living room.

"That's two more souls gone into the light and hopefully one roasting on a spit," Dean confirmed, taking a seat beside Sam.

"How you feeling, kiddo?" John asked as he too entered the living room.

"Bored, and in the mood for some Latin," Sam replied making puppy-dog eyes at his dad.

"NO LATIN!" came the reply from his father, brother, and Bobby.

"Ugh, I'm going to get blisters on my ass if I stay on this couch much longer," Sam complained. He threw his arms in the air.

"Watch it," John warned with no real threat.

"Sorry, sir," Sam answered sheepishly.

Trying to placate his son, John suggested, "How about one more day of bad TV and then we'll think about starting your training again, starting with Latin?"

"Really?" Sam asked hopefully.

"Yes. Now rest!" John ordered, resolute.

Dean threw a look at his father and John could tell everything his eldest wanted to say, mostly because deep down he felt that way, too. But his decision was made. He would train his sons to be the best hunters they could be.

This was their life now and he had to put his misgivings to the back of his mind. His kids would have a tough life ahead of them, but so would all the evil sons of bitches out there with his boys hunting them.

The End.


End file.
